Turkey & Greece

Welcome to Turkey and the legendary city of Istanbul, a unique city that stretches over two continents, straddling the Bosphorus (Istanbul Strait), with one riverbank in Europe and the other in Asia. Its position has given the city an unmistakably cosmopolitan atmosphere. The life and colour of the Middle East coupled with its high standard of living and European atmosphere highlights the contrast between the traditional and modern aspects of the city.

We don’t want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don’t, we recommend you arrive at your starting destination by 5.00pm.

This evening meet your fellow travellers and Tour Director for a welcome drink.

Get set for a full day exploring the fascinating city of Istanbul! First, we visit the magnificent Topkapi Palace, once home to the great Sultans and their families. Built between 1466 and 1478, the Topkapi Palace was the centre of the Ottoman Empire between the 15th and 19th centuries and is today filled with treasures and antiquities including 12,000 pieces of fine Chinese porcelain. We'll then visit the stunning, unique Blue Mosque, built in 1609 by Sultan Ahmet, and admire its interior walls covered with 20,000 blue Iznik tiles.

Special Experience: Excite your taste buds with some of Turkey's most famous delicacies, including baklava, Turkish coffee, and of course, Turkish delight!A visit to Istanbul is not complete without exploring the exotic Spice Bazaar, where hundreds of scents permeate the air. Our final stop is the Grand Bazaar, built in 1457, it is one of the largest covered markets in the world. The Bazaar is most famous for its antique shops, jewellery, carpets, hand-painted ceramics, embroideries and spices.

This evening enjoy a group welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Our touring today will feature a visit to the domed Basilica of St. Sophia (Hagia Sophia), which has inspired architects and religious leaders for almost 1,500 years. The first church on this site was constructed in 326 by Constantine the Great, while the current church dates back to 537 and has been a cathedral, a museum, and is now a mosque.

We'll also visit the Underground Basilica Cistern, the largest surviving Byzantium Cistern and the Hippodrome, once the heart of the political and sporting life of the city. It was the scene of games and riots throughout 500 years of Ottoman history. The afternoon is at leisure to further explore this extraordinary city. If you have the opportunity, try some Dondurma, a Turkish ice cream. It's chewy, stretchy and does not melt!

Optional Excursion: Bosphorus Cruise - On this magical journey covering both European and Asian shores by our private boat you'll see the marvellous monuments and districts like: Maiden Tower (Kiz Kulesi), Dolmabahce Palace, Ciragan Palace, Ortakoy, Fethi Ahmet Pasa Mansion, Ortakoy Mosque, Beylerbeyi Palace, Kuleli Military School and Arnavutkoy, Bebek. 1hr 15mins – from Euro 50pp (minimum 6 people)

Situated on the southern coast of the Dardanelles, Çanakkale is a historic port city, which has been home to a number of civilisations over the past 6,000 years. Çanakkale is also seen as a gateway to the Gallipoli Peninsula which is where we will be spending our day.

Special Experience: Honour the ANZACs at Gallipoli with a specialist guide, as we explore ANZAC Cove, the Lone Pine, Chunuk Bair Memorials, and Johnston's Jolly. We visit the World War I battlefields, most notable for being held by the ANZACs from 25th April to 20th December 1915, during what is referred to as The Gallipoli Campaign or Battle of Gallipoli. At the end of the war the bodies, still unburied, were cleared by the Allies on returning to the peninsula. Of the 22,000 graves at the 31 war cemeteries, only 9,000 are identified burials with grave markers. The remaining graves are commemorated with a special memorial.

Today is an incredibly moving day. It is a tangible reminder of a not-so-distant past and a significant event in history that shaped Australia's national identity.

Today we'll continue south to the port city of İzmir, Turkey's third largest city. You'll find many remnants of İzmir's ancient history scattered through the city, as well as lively bazaars and modern buildings.

En route to İzmir, another location with a vivid history will consume us as we visit Troy, one of the oldest discovered sites in Asia Minor. It actually holds nine settlements, dating from the Stone Age to the Roman Empire along with a replica of the Trojan Horse. The celebrated city of the Iliad, the Odyssey of Homer and the Aeneid of Virgil was long believed to be fictional until eccentric archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered its ruins near the modern city of Hisarlik. We'll then continue to İzmir, enjoying the rest of the day at leisure before we indulge in a group dinner at our hotel.

Our day begins early with a transfer to the airport for our flight to Cappadocia, renowned for its spectacular landscape and now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Special Experience: Visit a local restaurant in Cappadocia and learn to prepare some of the local culinary specialties in a hands-on cooking class. This afternoon we'll explore Zelve. Known for its Open Air Museum and the local village of Ortahisar, Zelve was one of the most important settlements and religious centres for the Christian community between the 9th and 13th centuries.

Cappadocia is a wonderland for avid travellers. Our sightseeing begins with a visit to the hidden monastic valley of Paşabaği, which has a large number of carved rock houses and churches. Here, we enjoy a visit to a local municipality carpet cooperation. This is, in sorts, a carpet farm where we'll get the chance to explore the district from a cultural perspective.

This afternoon we visit the fascinating Göreme Valley. The lunar-like landscape of this region is eerie, yet beautiful. Over thousands of years, rain has eroded the landscape to give rise to strange rock formations known as 'Fairy Chimneys'. Many of these have homes and churches carved into them. Some of the grottos are magnificently decorated with colourful frescoes depicting biblical scenes.

Optional Excursion: Hot Air Balloon Ride – Gently float over the countryside in complete harmony with the deep canyons and lush fertile valleys of Cappadocia. Gentle winds carry you over places that could never be reached except by balloon. 45mins - from Euro 340pp

Optional Excursion: Turkish Night – This performance demonstrates the traditional way in which a woman gets married in Turkey. Enjoy the entertaining folklore dances from different parts of Turkey. During the night the waiters will serve soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. 2-3hrs - from Euro 45pp (minimum 5 people)

Challenging Day: Today is a particularly challenging day, where there will be extended periods of walking time, often across uneven ground and in areas of high altitude or heat and humidity.

Today we make our way to Konya, a bustling university city with a booming economy and characterised by its religious and cultural significance. Before departing for Konya this morning, we'll visit the village of Avanos, famous for its hand-made pottery. With cobblestone streets and beautiful views over the Red River, it is no wonder Avanos is an extremely popular destination.

Later we explore one of the underground cities in the area. Around the 6th century the Christian inhabitants of this region began to tunnel into the large soft volcanic rock hills. Some of these tunnels are as deep as 80 metres with eight different levels where thousands of people are believed to have lived. In the afternoon, we continue our journey to Konya.

An unusual natural and historical site, Pamukkale is one of the highlights of Turkey, and will be our home for the night. Over the last 14,000 years, calcium rich water from an underground thermal spring has flowed over the mountainside and slowly solidified, creating shallow white basins and twisted stalagmites. The water of Pamukkale is famous for its benefit to the eyes and skin, and its curing properties of the ills of asthma and rheumatism.

Our morning begins with a visit to the fascinating Mevlana Museum where we learn about the Whirling Dervishes. They use music and dance to induce themselves into a trance-like state. As the ceremonial music plays, they begin whirling, and their long skirts billow, giving the impression that they are floating on air.

Later we drive to Catalhöyük, the largest and best-preserved Neolithic site with spectacular artworks and wall paintings, dating back to approximately 5,700 BC. Catalhöyük is located south-east of the city of Konya and overlooks the wheat fields of the Konya Plain. Afterwards, we drive on towards the mesmerising Pamukkale.

Optional Excursion: Whirling Dervishes – A performance about the mystical religious sect known as the Whirling Dervishes, using music and dance to induce themselves into a mystical state. As the ceremonial music plays, they begin to whirl, and their long skirts billow giving the impression that they are floating on air. 1hr – from Euro 25pp (minimum 5 people).

Kuşadası is one of Turkey's popular beachside towns boasting 300 days of sunshine each year, and also serves as the gateway to the impressive Roman ruins of Ephesus. On our way there today, we'll visit the site of Hierapolis, an ancient Greek city that sits atop the famous cascading pool terraces. We continue on to Kuşadası, enjoying the rest of the afternoon at leisure.

We begin our day with a visit to a local leather factory and find out more about the products they manufacture here. We'll then continue on, making our way to Ephesus. A wonderful day of antiquity is in store for us as we explore Ephesus, the largest Roman city ever uncovered. As the site of Ephesus is quite large with little shade, we recommend taking a hat and plenty of water with you as drinks are only sold outside of the complex.

As we walk down the marble covered streets, we get a feel of what life was like during these times and see the gymnasiums, bath houses, public latrines, the Library of Celsus and all that remains of the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. After touring this morning, we'll head to a renowned vineyard in western Turkey for wine tasting and a delicious lunch.

After breakfast we are transferred to the Kuşadası pier to embark our cruise of the Greek Islands. We set sail, and just a few hours later the cruise ship arrives at the small island of Patmos. Famous for its rich religious heritage, it is the place where Saint John the Divine had his visions and wrote the Apocalypse, which features in the New Testament. Patmos remains a place of religious pilgrimage today as visitors travel to see the magnificent Monastery of Saint John, which has been added to the World Heritage list by UNESCO. You have the choice to partake in an optional tour (at your own expense) to explore the Monastery. Enjoy the fascinating shows on board as we cruise during the night.

In the morning, we will arrive in Rhodes, the island of the Knights and site of one of the demolished Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes. During the included shore excursion, we'll visit the beautiful town of Lindos, famous for its Acropolis. We'll then continue onto to the heart of historical Rhodes and explore the citadel of the Knights. The tour will end with some free time to further explore this medieval town. Early in the evening, we set sail for Crete.

Today we arrive early at the port of Heraklion in Crete. Crete is famous for the well-preserved Knossos Palace of the Minoan civilization, which you'll have the option to join a guided tour (at your own expense) or spend the morning exploring Heraklion at your own pace. Before noon, we sail to Santorini, arriving in the late afternoon. Some say Santorini is the most beautiful island of the Aegean. Enjoy the afternoon to explore the island at your leisure or join an optional excursion (at your own expense) to visit the villages of Santorini and the famous Oia, with stunning views of the Caldera and the volcano.

Early in the morning we will arrive at the port of Lavrion, near Athens. After breakfast we will disembark, meet our coach and travel to Corinth. We'll visit the ruins of the ancient city, the Temple of Apollo and the Fountain of Peirene. Next, we journey to Epidaurus on the Argolid Peninsula. Here we stop at the Ancient Theatre. Regarded as the best-preserved ancient theatre in Greece due to its perfect acoustics and fine structure, this impressive construction dates back to the 4th century.

We then continue to our final stop for today, Nafplio. A romantic town with Venetian architecture and Ottoman structures, the Old Town is a maze of narrow streets where you'll discover hidden squares and beautiful buildings.

Mycenae is one of Greece's most important archaeological sites and is the birthplace of the culture that dominated during the late Bronze Age. We visit the site this morning and explore a citadel with Cyclopean walls. Made from huge limestone boulders, many ancient people believed that the walls were buil¬t by cyclops, as they thought it would have been too difficult for humans to move such rocks. This is where the name ‘Cyclopean walls' originated. Our next stop is the region of Nemea where we visit a local winery and take part in a wine tasting before returning to Nafplio.

Special Experience: Visit a local restaurant where we’ll enjoy a hands-on lesson and cook up a Greek feast for lunch.

Today we'll make our way to the tiny fortified port city of Nafpaktos, which will be our home for the next two nights. The town is flanked by beaches on either side and has a trendy harbour area dotted with cafes and restaurants. We farewell Nafplio this morning and journey across the mountains of the Peloponnese to the home of the Olympics, ancient Olympia. Our tour takes us through the impressive ruins, where we can follow in the footsteps of the ancient Olympians, seeing the Temple of Zeus, Palaestra and Phidias's Workshop, as well as the museum.

We continue driving this afternoon around Patras and over the impressive Rio-Antirio Bridge, to the picturesque little town of Nafpaktos.

This morning we'll take a short drive for stunning views of the castle of Nafpaktos. As well as being one of Greece's most beautiful castles, it also provides stunning views of the Corinthian Gulf and the Rio-Antirio Bridge.

Special Experience: From the village of Diakopto, we'll embark on a 'Rack and Pinion' train journey along the 19th century Odontotos Rack Railway through the stunning Vouraikos Gorge. We'll pass striking scenery and travel through rock tunnels, before arriving in the village of Kalavryta. Here we will have some time to explore on our own and grab a bite for lunch.

We then reboard our bus and make our way back to Nafpaktos.

Our journey continues today as we make our way to the small town of Kalambaka, our base to explore fascinating Meteora (Hanging Rocks).

This morning we'll visit the site and the museum of Delphi. In ancient times, Delphi was considered to be the centre of the known world, the place where Heaven and Earth met. In mythology, Delphi was the meeting place of two eagles, released by Zeus and sent in opposite directions. Where they met indicated the centre of the Earth. Before the area later became associated with Apollo, there were other deities worshipped here including the Earth Goddess Gaia, Themis, Demeter and Poseidon, the God of the Sea. By the end of the Mycenaean period Apollo had displaced these other deities and become the Guardian of the Oracle.

We'll enjoy a guided tour of the archaeological ruins, including the Sanctuary of Apollo and the Treasury of Athenians and visit the museum, home to the famous ‘bronze charioteer'. After some free time, we will continue through the mountains towards Kalambaka.

Capital of Greece, Athens is one of the oldest cities in the world. Athens was named after Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom, who according to mythology won the city as a prize after a duel against Poseidon.

Before we arrive in Athens, we'll explore incredible Meteora and two of its monasteries. Considered one of the best sites in Greece, it is made up of a series of monastic buildings perched on a cluster of steep rocks, scarred by wind erosion and streaked by centuries of rainwater. They rise from the flat surface of the valley; perpendicular in their ascent that seems to the eye as a vast wall, formed by human hand rather than by nature! Steps cut into the rock lead up to the monasteries offering magnificent views of the area.

After some free time for lunch, we will continue towards Athens. On the way, we will make a short photo stop at the statue of Leonidas, the King of Sparta.

Enjoy a relaxed start to the day as our city sightseeing tour begins later in the morning. We'll visit famous sites such as the Acropolis, the Parthenon and the magnificent Erechtheion Temple. We'll then enjoy a walking tour in the old part of the town, the very picturesque Plaka district and have some free time for lunch. Walking is the best way to soak up the Athenian atmosphere because the traffic can reach nightmare proportions! During some free time for lunch, what better place than Athens to try the national delicacy we all know well, the yiros? We'll enjoy an evening stroll through the Monastiraki and Thissio areas, before a group farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Our tour concludes after breakfast this morning. Today marks the completion of our Turkey and Greece group tour. We hope you leave with fantastic memories!